Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the Hot Rod Forum : Hotrodders Bulletin Board forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name (usually not your first and last name), your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Topic Review (Newest First)

04-19-2012 02:01 PM

1971BB427

Not sure what the availability is of used stepside beds, or the cost in your area, but I'd tend to want to buy a used box and modify it. A decent short narrow box truck bed goes under $200 around here quite often, and could be narrowed, shortened, or reworked from there to get it looking like you want.
I like the idea of making a box from something else, but I think a garden cart bed at nearly $400, plus a lot of work would not be my choice. I also prefer the wider angled or flat top of a stock box.

04-18-2012 11:04 PM

Prof. T. Soggmeyer

That post looks alot like my stock 49 bed. I love it.
Brad...

04-18-2012 08:32 PM

Mojo56

I prefer to use high dollar store bought parts rather than making do with what you have on hand... I about smoked my Visa card building this...

I'll have to see what I can come up with.. I should make it by hand. I just don't know that it'll come out looking much diffrent.. I guess I could build somthing with an embossed tailgate emblem. make people double take

04-17-2012 12:11 PM

MARTINSR

Personally, I think it will look like a garden cart bed on your truck. I'm with Randy, make one!

Brian

04-17-2012 12:08 PM

NEW INTERIORS

You built the whole truck.. Why stop there... Build the bed as well..

04-17-2012 11:37 AM

dinger

Great idea. To myself, this is what ratrodding is all about, using what's available without breaking the bank but still done in a cool manner. For protection purposes, a few coats of epoxy primer and paint to protect the surfaces.

04-17-2012 11:29 AM

matt167

Garden cart as hotrod pickup bed.

Been thinking about what I need for a pickup bed for my ratrod.. Painting my older garden cart, I noticed the construction and looks is about par with an 'early' pickup bed. Now mine is way to small ( 10CF ). 30x36x12 but Ohio steel and Agrifab both make carts which are perfect size for my Ratrod, at 60x34x15 ( 17 CF )..

If I rework the tailgate, and rework the lip on the front. I should be able to cut the bed off the frame really easy ( non continuous welds ).. Add some trailer fenders and it should look pretty good.. As far as the price goes. There $360ish. If I built somthing, I would need a sheet of 18ga at least, and some sticks of 1"x1" 16ga tubing. probably come close to that price + the time to put it togther..